Zika virus epidemic in photos

• Zika virus epidemic in photographs

The disease from which no date, no drugs, no vaccinations, gradually spreading. Zika virus was first discovered in Brazil. Today, the number of cases ranges from 1, 5 million people. The virus is transmitted through mosquito bites. At risk - pregnant women. It is believed that Zika virus leads to microcephaly in children whose mothers were ill during pregnancy.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said that now all efforts should be made to fight the virus vectors - mosquitoes.

February 1 must undergo an emergency meeting on the virus. Margaret Chan, WHO Director-General intends to request the Committee to assess the level of international threats, and develop a set of measures that should be taken in the already infected countries.

WHO are concerned about a possible link Zika virus with microcephaly in children whose mothers had chickenpox virus during pregnancy. Brazilian authorities report a surge in birth defects in infants and is associated with exactly Zika virus.

Now in Brazil, all efforts aimed at the destruction of the mosquitoes that transmit the virus.

Brazilian army has been engaged on insect control.

Aedes Aegypti mosquito or zheltolihoradochny - Zika virus carrier. According to WHO, the virus is likely to have spread across America.

Estafany Perreira holds her five-month nephew suffering from microcephaly. In Brazil, it has already recorded 4,000 cases of congenital defect. WHO links them with the virus.

Today, a typical day in Recife (northeastern Brazil) looks like this. Military fumigated treated areas where there is standing water - an ideal environment for mosquitoes.

Preventive measures are carried out in other countries in South and Central America.

Venezuela. The first cases of virus infection were identified in December in Caracas and other cities.

Cases of infection have been identified in Nicaragua.

One case was identified in Guatemala in mid-November.

As part of preventive measures, the ministry of health workers fumigating the premises used by mosquitoes.